Chapter 40 #2
It felt strangely surreal.
To be inside my own subconscious...
Yet still feel every movement of my body as though it were completely real.
"We'll also choose your hairstyle."
"And your makeup."
Madame Zhivorzhinette was already brimming with enthusiasm.
"My hair can stay down," I offered.
She let out a quiet, scandalized scoff.
"Oh, absolutely not."
She looked at me as though I'd suggested attending the Selection in pajamas.
"Billions of beings will be watching you."
"Everything has to be perfect."
******
When my mind finally returned to my body, I realized just how exhausting it had been to spend so much time inside my own subconscious choosing dresses.
Thankfully, the fitting itself hadn't taken long.
The moment I saw the gown with the full skirt crafted from a strange fabric that resembled living flames, paired with a simple corset, I knew it was the one.
The real delay came from waiting for Stasia and Gianna.
Neither of them could settle on a final choice.
Stasia was the worst of the two.
She kept switching between different colors and silhouettes, forcing us to help her decide.
Or rather—
forcing me.
In the end, she still hadn't made up her mind.
Our allotted fitting time ran out, and we had no choice but to head to our next class.
Dance.
For heaven's sake.
"Am I the only one who doesn't understand why dancing is a mandatory subject at Istmond?" I asked.
Joelle had mentioned it while leading us through the corridor toward the dance studio, located just a few doors away from Madame Zhivorzhinette's atelier.
"Dancing improves coordination," Gianna explained.
"It also helps you develop a better connection with your body."
"And honestly," she added with a smile, "I doubt we'll have many classes where we actually get to have fun."
"For me, fun is painting."
"I can't stand dancing."
I'd never been graceful.
Or even remotely coordinated.
Back in high school, I'd almost skipped graduation just to avoid dancing.
"I'm the exact opposite," Stasia laughed.
"You should see my paintings."
"I will."
I nodded as I followed Gianna into the studio.
Just like before, we were divided into two groups.
Fortunately, Stasia ended up in mine.
"Finally," Pria muttered, her irritation impossible to miss.
"We've been waiting for you for ten minutes."
"Oh, how tragic."
Stasia clasped her hands dramatically.
"However will you survive?"
Pria rolled her eyes, turned away, and muttered something to Loretta instead.
Two figures suddenly appeared in the middle of the room, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
A man.
And a woman.
They looked so remarkably alike—in both build and facial features—that they could have passed for fraternal twins.
Both were tall and slender, their black uniforms only emphasizing their elegant posture.
The woman's raven hair was twisted into a neat bun.
The man's, equally dark, was tied back in a low ponytail.
Their pale skin contrasted sharply with their eyes.
Long.
Narrow.
So impossibly black they seemed darker than the shadows themselves.
"Welcome, first-years."
The woman's voice was crisp.
Precise.
Carrying the unmistakable authority of someone used to being obeyed.
"We'll be your dance instructors for the next three years," the man continued, his voice noticeably gentler.
"My name is Suar."
"And this is Sabina."
"Well, congratulations," Aars whispered beside me.
"You've finally met a pair of werebeasts."
I barely managed not to flinch.
Instead of listening to the rest of Suar's introduction, I shot Aars a quick glance.
Thankfully, he'd become surprisingly good at understanding me without words.
"They're serpent shifters," he explained.
My heartbeat lurched.
Serpents.
Of all creatures...
I'd been terrified of snakes for as long as I could remember.
Finding out that two serpent shifters were about to teach me felt dangerously close to triggering a panic attack.
"They're married," Aars continued.
"Both wield Shadow magic."
"They've entered one of those magical unions..."
He frowned.
"I forgot what it's called."
"I'm terrible with relationship terminology."
"Anyway, their bodies, souls, and magic gradually synchronize until they function almost as a single being."
I stared at them.
How could anyone willingly surrender part of themselves...
And accept someone else's in return?
It sounded...
completely insane.
"Since we have more gentlemen than ladies," Sabina said, "two of our female students will be left without dance partners."
"And it's rather difficult to dance a proper waltz alone."
Suar snapped his fingers.
Two life-sized silhouettes materialized beside them.
Pitch-black.
Featureless.
Like shadows that had somehow gained physical form.
"These are shadow constructs," Suar explained.
"They've mastered every style of dance."
"The two young ladies who are paired with them should consider themselves quite fortunate."
The sight was unsettling.
I sincerely hoped I wouldn't end up dancing with one.
"I'd love to be one of the lucky ones."
Loretta raised her hand, studying the shadow figures with open fascination.
Of course she did.
Another Shadow mage would hardly find them frightening.
"Would you like to dance with me instead?"
I turned.
Seris was standing beside me, smiling warmly, his hands tucked into his pockets.
"Of course."
I nodded, silently relieved.
The partners were assigned quickly.
Stasia with Kaeron.
Azalia with Taylor.
Pria with Aaron.
Gianna and Loretta received the shadow partners.
Loretta looked delighted.
Gianna...
Not so much.
Her hands trembled ever so slightly.
After a brief demonstration from the serpent couple—whose very existence I still hadn't fully processed—we took our positions.
Seris took my hand.
His other settled lightly against my waist.
And instantly...
My mind betrayed me.
Airis.
I remembered dancing with him in the Chamber of Threads.
Remembered how naturally he'd held me.
How warm his embrace had been.
Compared to that, Seris felt almost painfully careful.
Awkward.
Far too serious.
His attention remained fixed on our feet as he listened to Suar's instructions, while Sabina occasionally added a correction.
Even the way they spoke...
Felt synchronized.
It was unsettling.
And strangely fascinating.
At some point, I became so lost in my thoughts that I completely missed the next instruction.
When Seris stepped forward...
I didn't step back.
We collided awkwardly.
"Miss Arden."
Sabina clicked her tongue.
In the blink of an eye, she was standing beside us.
The cold radiating from her was almost tangible.
When her long, slender fingers adjusted my posture, I instinctively tensed.
She didn't even seem to notice.
"In this dance, the leader leads."
She corrected the position of my arms.
Then stepped back.
"Again."
My face burned.
Every ounce of self-consciousness settled into my muscles.
I managed to make a mistake with nearly every step.
"You're struggling with your weight transfer," Suar observed.
Sabina had already moved on to help Stasia and Kaeron.
"And Miss Arden keeps confusing left and right."
I pressed my lips together.
I hated this.
For the second time since arriving at Istmond...
I was the weakest one in the room.
First with magic.
Now with something as ordinary as dancing.
I'd never thought dancing mattered.
"We'll schedule an additional hour of practice for the next three days," Sabina announced.
Her gaze shifted toward the opposite side of the room.
Every time Loretta stepped on her shadow partner's foot, it bounced slightly into the air.
I wasn't proud of it...
But I was incredibly relieved that I wasn't the only one falling behind.
******